S&P Materials’ 98% Rally Has Room to Run as Recovery Quickens

  • Industrial economy remains on upward path, Jefferies says
  • Weaker dollar and value rotation may further fuel rally

Shares in companies such as copper miner Freeport-McMoRan Inc. have soared on price increases.

Photographer: Dadang Tri/Bloomberg

Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

A rally that has pushed the S&P 500 Materials Index to an all-time high has more room to run, thanks to a combination of economic forces including higher prices for raw materials.

Shares in companies such as copper miner Freeport-McMoRan Inc. and lithium producer Albemarle Corp. have soared on commodity price increases, helping to push the index up 98% higher since its crash a year ago. The gains have made the sector the best performing after energy on the S&P 500 in a trend analysts say could continue.